Retirement Bridge Policy for Faculty Members Policy

Purpose/Scope

The purpose of SUNY Brockport Retirement Bridge Program for Faculty Members is designed to:

1. Assist faculty in the transition from full-time teaching to retirement.
2. Provide university-wide consistency.
3. Allows faculty members, their department chair, and dean, flexibility in creating a Retirement Bridge Plan that addresses current departmental needs.
4. Allow faculty to shape their retirement bridge plan in terms of their individual preferences regarding teaching, scholarship, and service.

Applicability

Eligibility

Faculty members must be appointed to a full time position.

Interested faculty should consult with their department chair and/or dean regarding any questions concerning a Retirement Bridge Plan or how the Retirement Bridge Program applies to them.

Definitions

There are no definitions for this policy at this time.

Policy Procedures

This “teaching faculty retirement bridge program” allows members of the teaching faculty to submit a plan for the performance of specific duties and responsibilities during their last year of service before retirement. Consideration and approval of such plan will be based upon the following:

1. The plan may receive approval for one year only and its submission must include a letter to the President declaring the applicant’s intent to retire at the end of the year if the plan is approved. 

2. The plan, and/or its endorsements, must provide assurances of how essential services will be maintained if the plan is approved.

3. The plan must be approved by the Department, the School/Division, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. 

4. The plan will be built from a base assumption of zero salary and zero workload. The rationale for developing the plan is based on an annual 4/4 course load with no service and no scholarship/research commitments model.

5. Under the plan, compensation will be based upon 1/8 of the teaching faculty member’s current salary for each 3 credit hour course taught (equal to one “performance unit” per semester) or equivalent credit hour load. 

6. Service or scholarship performance units will be compensated at the rate of 1/16 of salary per semester where such activity is approved in “the plan” after a determination that the service or scholarship performance unit(s) are deemed appropriate for compensation.

7. The plan may not exceed 6 performance units, using any combination of course, service, and/or scholarship units, for a maximum of 75% of base salary.

8. The plan may propose that the performance units be completed in either the fall or spring semester, or be spread over the academic year. 

9. In order to preserve benefits, compensation may be spread over the academic year in accordance with the payroll mode of the teaching faculty member.

10. Any NYS retirement incentive benefits for Optional Retirement Program (ORP) participants would be based upon the reduced salary unless there is a change from language contained in current incentive legislation. 

11. All former “retirement bridge” options are eliminated. Employees currently on other “retirement bridges” will have the option of continuing their currently approved work reduction leaves or developing a plan consistent with these guidelines-including the one year limitation. 

12. Under certain conditions, a plan extension might be approved for a maximum of one additional year.

Links to Related Procedures and Information

There are no links for this policy at this time.

Contact Information

There is no contact information for this policy at this time.

History (in descending order)

Approval

There are no approvals for this policy at this time.